16 Facts You Probably Didn't Know About Arnold Schwarzenegger

No matter who you ask, one thing's for sure: the Terminator-turned-Governator has lived quite an epic ife. Learn more about the man behind the muscles with Total Recall, the unbelievable true life story of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

1. He was a contestant on "The Dating Game" in 1973.

There was enough of him to go around for everyone.

2. He was supposed to play Kyle Reese in "The Terminator."

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After Arnold shared his thoughts about how the Terminator should be portrayed during a meeting with director James Cameron, Cameron convinced him to play the title role, even though Arnold didn't want to play a villain.

3. He was almost John McClane in "Die Hard."

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The role would later go to Bruce Willis, who plays the reluctant city cop to this day.

4. His voice was over-dubbed in "Hercules in New York."

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It was his first professional film credit, but he was credited as "Arnold Strong" to avoid tongue-tied moviegoers.

5. We went AWOL while serving in the Austrian army.

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But only so he could compete in his first bodybuilding competition, the Junior Mr. Europe in Stuttgart. He spent a week in army jail upon his return.

6. He's the face of canned coffee, noodles, and energy drinks in Japan.

The commercials are, unquestionably, the best videos on YouTube.

7. He directed an episode of "Tales from the Crypt."

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The season two episode "The Switch," starring Kelly Preston, was his directorial debut.

8. He was the second actor to be elected governor of California.

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The first, Ronald Reagan, would later be elected president.

9. He almost played Dr. Manhattan in the "Watchmen" movie.

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He was producer Joel Silver's first choice to play the hulking blue demigod early on in the film's production cycle.

10. His films have grossed around $4 billion worldwide.

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Twice has he broken records as the highest paid actor in Hollywood: once when he earned $20 million for his role in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and again when he reprised that same role for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.

11. He made his American television debut alongside Lucille Ball.

He played muscly masseuse Rico on one of the I Love Lucy star's popular TV specials, Happy Anniversary & Goodbye.

12. He was the original choice to play the Incredible Hulk in the television series.

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Despite towering at 6'2", he was still deemed too short for the role, which went to fellow bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno.

13. The Guinness Book of World Records dubbed him "the most perfectly developed man in the history of the world."

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Ladies, take note: this is how you sweet talk a guy.

14. He almost acted opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in "Predator"

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Van Damme, who was initially cast as the monstrous Predator, dropped out after concerns with the initial costume concept. The two action stars would finally face off in The Expendables 2 in 2012.

15. While in office, he didn't take a salary as governor of California.

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He didn't accept his annual $175,000 paycheck while serving as governor of California.

16. He wrote a book.

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Discover the unbelievable true story behind Hollywood's most iconic action hero in Total Recall, the new book that tracks Arnold Schwarzenegger's inspiring journey from Terminator to Governator.